ST. LOUIS – Extra innings have been good for the Yankees this season, especially on this middle-America road trip.

For Monday's series opener at Busch Stadium, the offense scored runs early, went silent late, and eventually put together a potent 12th-inning rally for a 6-4 win against the Cardinals. Brian Roberts had the go-ahead single just one inning after Brett Gardner made the game-saving catch, a leaping grab against the wall to rob at least a double and possibly a walk-off home run.

It was the Yankees' third extra-inning game of this road trip — they've won all three — and they are now 4-1 in extra-inning games this season.

Jacoby Ellsbury led off the 12th inning with a walk, then stole second base against Yadier Molina, who's thrown out more than 50 percent of base runners this season. A hit batter, sacrifice bunt and intentional walk eventually loaded the bases for Roberts, who was the only Yankee with two hits in the game.

Alfonso Soriano's sacrifice fly and Brendan Ryan's two-out RBI single tacked on runs for Dave Robertson, who allowed a run but completed his second save since blowing one on Friday.

The Yankees' underperforming offense had as much success as anyone against young Cardinals standout Michael Wacha, but they eventually let an early lead slip away. The Yankees scored three runs in the first five innings, matching the most runs Wacha had allowed this season. The 22-year-old struck out two, his lowest total of the season.

Brett Gardner led off the game with a walk, Derek Jeter singled — his first career hit in the new Busch Stadium — and Ellsbury had an RBI single for a 1-0 lead before the Cardinals made an out.

After the Cardinals came back to tie it in the bottom of the inning, the Yankees took temporary control with a two-run fifth that again started with a walk and two singles. Ichiro Suzuki walked, Roberts singled and Kelly Johnson singled in the go-ahead run. Gardner added a sacrifice fly to make it 3-1.

For a while, it seemed that might be enough for the rookie starter Chase Whitley to get his first career win.

Whitley made his third major-league start, all three of which have come on the road in interleague play. No other pitcher in baseball history had ever started his career that way.

This time, Whitley's first inning was a rough one, but he settled in.

After a leadoff triple — Ichiro missed a leaping catch in right field — and an RBI double, Whitley gave up a run before he recorded an out, and he still had to navigate the middle of a dangerous Cardinals lineup.

He ultimately left runners at the corners in the first inning and went on to pitch through the fifth inning for the first time since coming up from Triple-A. But manager Joe Girardi might have stuck with him an inning too long.

A double, single and hit batter loaded the bases with no outs before the Yankees went to reliever Preston Claiborne. That would normally be a situation for strikeout artist Dellin Betances, but Girardi seemed to be saving Betances for later innings.

Claiborne got a near double play ball and a routine fly ball to right field, which was enough to bring in two runs and tie the game at 3.

All three runs were charged to Whitley, who took his third no-decision.

Teixeira's wrist tightens: Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira was scratched from Monday's lineup because of tightness in his surgically repaired right wrist. Girardi said there's only mild concern, but the wrist had been bothering Teixeira all weekend.

"Not something totally unexpected," Girardi said. "Today it's a little more stiff than it has been. He's just day to day. As of right now there are no tests scheduled. We'll give him today off, hopefully have him back (Tuesday)."

Teixeira missed almost all of last season because of a torn tendon sheath. He came back slowly in spring training, but had missed time this year only because of lower-body injuries; first a strained hamstring and then general fatigue and tightness in his groin. The wrist had been, by all accounts, relatively healthy.

Girardi said that Teixeira first complained of tightness on Friday, but said he could still play. The next night, the Yankees faced a left-handed starter, and batting right-handed doesn't bother the right wrist as much. Teixeira played again on Sunday.

Although he had been red hot, Teixeira had just one hit in his three games after complaining about the tightness.

"You're always a little bit concerned," Girardi said. "But (the doctors) talked about there would be stiffness throughout this process for a while. Today there's just a little bit more. It could be fatigue. That's what my thought process is, and hopefully it's just one day that he needs."

Beltran encouraged: For the first time since receiving two cortisone injections to deal with a bone spur in his elbow, right fielder Carlos Beltran swung a bat on Monday and hopes to do the same on Tuesday.

Beltran took 30 swings — 15 from each side — with a light fungo bat. He will try to take 30 swings with a regular bat on Tuesday. From there he'll progress to tee and toss, batting practice and eventually a rehab assignment. That's assuming no setback that might force surgery.

"I think it's way too early to know that," Girardi said. "But today was a step in the right direction."

Jeter honored: Before Monday's series opener at Busch Stadium, Jeter was honored during a pregame ceremony to celebrate his final trip to St. Louis. Jeter was given a $10,000 check for his Turn 2 Foundation, plus a pair of locally made cuff links featuring Cardinals Hall of Famer Stan Musial. Longtime Cardinals shortstop Ozzie Smith was part of the ceremony.

Yankee clippings: Recovering from an upper back injury near his shoulder, starting pitcher Michael Pineda is scheduled to make a rehab start in extended spring training on Tuesday. . . . Relief pitcher Shawn Kelley, dealing with a stiff lower back, played catch from 75 feet on Tuesday and reported no problems. . . . St. Louis native David Phelps is scheduled to start for the Yankees in St. Louis on Tuesday.